I actually think that you need to figure out what sector of the industry you're aiming for, and think more about the types of places you want to work rather than decide on a piece of software to learn.  It's much harder to change industries than it is to learn new software.  Corporate events, broadcast TVCs, feature films, architectural renders, branding and design are really quite distinct sectors and most people end up specialising in one of them.  If you want to design title sequences then I wouldn't suggest learning zbrush.  If you want to work on feature films then I wouldn't suggest learning cinema 4D.  My opinion is that trying to get a job in broadcast design if you've only worked in corporate events will be more difficult than learning Max if you've only used Maya before.

But here are some observations from my own experience:

> Cinema 4d: easiest to use, fast workflow, something of a "standard" for motion graphics? Is it still being actively developed etc? Is it something every studio is using?

As the others have noted, Cinema 4D is growing rapidly and has a very solid base in the design markets.  In the studio I'm working in now, it is constantly turning the heads of the Max/Maya guys and they're increasingly deferring to Cinema 4D for specific tasks.  it will only get bigger and better.

> Maya: used a lot in film / high end commercials - steeper learning curve but very flexible. shaders are complicated but powerful. Good dynamics engine
> 3dstudio max: used mostly for games / particles work?

Max and Maya are the two most common 3D programs.  I haven't heard anyone mention XSI or Lightwave for about 10 years.  Maya seems more buggy but it works on Macs - and that's a really important consideration for smaller agencies that don't run windows.  I think that Max has better support for low-poly real-time engines, but those sort of generalisations can easily be inaccurate or outdated.  The particles thing is a case of the grass being greener - neither have especially amazing particle systems, and anything really really complex will bring both packages to their knees.

Depending on the markets you get work in, you may find that the real skill is learning a rendering engine (ie vray, mental ray or renderman) and that skill will be more important than the animation package you use.

 -Chris


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